Wrapping up Kennerdell..........wow, that was quick!

I had hours of fun wading out and fishing in the river.  Thankfully my fishing was only rarely interrupted by catching a fish!

Whoever came up with the saying "time sure flies when you're having fun" certainly knew what they were talking about.  It's hard to believe our four weeks in Kennerdell have come and gone in what now seems like the blink of an eye.  Simply put, we loved everything about our stay in this small community located on the Allegheny River.

Biking, hiking or being walked by Allie.  The Allegheny River Trail, Sandy Creek Trail, Oil Creek Trail or River Trail were all spectacular.

Me, Ben and Allie going to the light at the end of the Kennerdell Tunnel.

The peaceful setting with the clear waters flowing by, accompanied by a backdrop of green trees covering the small mountains, was incredibly relaxing. The friendly skies were actually friendly as geese, ducks and eagles shared the open air space. Finches and other small birds stayed close to the tree lined shore.

Kayakers on the river.  The river traffic would pick up a little on the weekend but it was still incredibly peaceful.

Bloggers Paradise!

With the low hanging fog over the river, morning fires were even better than evening fires.

Presque Isle and Lake Erie, were only a little over an hour away and made for a great day trip.

Ben and Allie coming off a walk on the Allegheny River Trail.

The neighbors up and down the road were friendly and welcoming to the point that after just a day or two we felt like we weren't visitors at all, just a part of the neighborhood.

Although we saw and did a lot, there are plenty of day trip adventures left for future visits.

Most importantly, there was plenty of Ben and Allie time.............

Hey, Hey, Hey..........me and the World's Greatest Activities Director

We've returned to Florida for a few days.  On Thursday morning we'll be celebrating a very special lady's birthday.  While I know I'm not supposed to divulge a ladies age, she's going to be 92!  Hopefully she won't be too mad at me for spilling the beans.  If she is, I think I can outrun her!

After the hoopla, we'll be flying back to Pittsburgh to pick up the car and heading off for our next adventure.  We'll be Yooper's for the next month.  If you're not sure what a Yooper is you can google it or I'll explain it in the next blog.

Next stop..........Yooperville!

 

 

Punxsutawney, PA....................the Weather Capital of the World!

A nice "Welcome" mural in downtown!

Just seventy miles from our Airbnb in Kennerdell is the small town of Punxsutawney.  The population of Punxsutawney is approximately 5,700, and like most of this area of Western Pennsylvania, there is a strong German heritage.  Leaning on a Pennsylvanian Dutch tradition and a little creative marketing Punxsutawney has put together an annual celebration that has given rise to a self proclamation as the "weather capital of the world".  Of course no "weather capital of the world" would be complete without a famous weather prognosticator, which in this case just happens to be a groundhog ........Punxsutawney Phil.  

Beth, Ben and I made the drive over to Punxsutawney earlier this week.  On our way we stopped for an outdoor lunch in the town of Foxburg, which like Kennerdell is located on the Allegheny River.  We discovered Foxburg when visiting Ben shortly after he moved to this area.  We were invited out to dinner with some of the family that own the campground where he works.  We were amazed then at the beauty of this area and come to appreciate it more everyday.  In addition to it's scenic riverside setting, Foxburg is famous for it's connection to golf.  It is the home of the nine hole Foxburg Country Club, which was established in 1887, making it the oldest continuously operating golf course in the United States.  The golf course can be found on the National Register of Historic Places.  Inside the clubhouse is the small but interesting American Golf Hall of Fame which is free and open to the public.   If you visit and you're a golfer be sure to take a look at the size of the greens on the course.  They make a postage stamp look large!

An outdoor, socially distancing lunch at the Allegheny River Grill

Foxburg Country Club

One of the displays inside the American Golf Hall of Fame

Foxburg Country Club

Arriving in Punxsutawney, we found Phil munching away on a piece of lettuce in his cozy burrow, which is located at the public library in Barclay Square.  Phil shares this burrow with his wife, leaving the comfort of home occasionally to make guest appearances at local events. and on February 2 (Groundhog Day) to make his big prediction.  Every year on this cold early February morning over 30,000 people from all over the world converge on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney for food, music and most importantly to learn first hand Phil's weather forecast.  If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter.  No shadow, means spring is just around the corner.

The legendary Punxsutawney Phil!

Beth and Ben in front of Phil's Burrow which is actually built into the wall of the library.

Statues of Phil in various costumes.  

We enjoyed walking around and finding a few of the 32 scattered around town.

A few fun facts about groundhogs, Groundhog Day and Phil:

• The groundhog is a member of the rodent family.
• Don't tell Phil, but from what I read, groundhog is considered to be a tasty meat.  I think I'll pass.
• The Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney started in 1887.
• None of the scenes from the 1993 Bill Murray film were shot in Punxsutawney.  It was actually filmed in Woodstock, IL.
• Although the average lifespan of a groundhog is 6-8 years, Phil gets a drink of magic elixir every year that keeps him young.  The elixir is truly the "Fountain of Youth" because that would make Phil well over 100 years old.  Further evidence that "legends never die" or at least that you should never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. 

Our friends down the road shared with us an interesting story about one particular Punxsutawney Phil.  Years back a member of their family found an orphaned baby groundhog that they raised as a pet.  As it grew they contacted the organizers of the annual Groundhog Day celebration and asked them if they were in need of a new and "tame" groundhog.  They excitedly said they were and arrangements were made to transfer him to Punxsutawney where he served as Phil for several years.  They said the easy way to recognize him in pictures was by the gloves his handler was wearing.  Because he was "tame", the handler didn't have to wear thick gloves to prevent his fingers being nibbled on.  Also, we learned that this particular Phil loved french fries and was frequently seen munching on fries from McDonalds after making an appearance around town.  

It was great seeing Phil and learning more about him and the celebration, especially on a September afternoon when the temperature was hovering around 70 degrees.   Much warmer than on the actual Groundhogs Day of February 2 when it would most likely be below freezing, shadow or no shadow!

Just up the road a few miles from Ben's house is Emmett's Orchard.  At this time of year there are plenty of fresh apples, including our favorite, Honeycrisp Apples.  There are also plenty of goodies such as apple pie, turnovers, molasses cookies, peanut butter cookies, fresh cider and a whole lot more!

Emmett's Orchard!

Oil Creek State Park.......then and now

A replica of one of the many oil wells that dotted the area back in the 1860's.  The worlds oldest continually producing oil well (McClintock Well #1) is nearby.  In it's heyday it produced over 175 barrels of oil per day.  Now days it produces less than half a barrel a day, but it's still going after more than 150 years. 

As usual, Beth's diligent research led us to another nice destination.  She had read about Oil Creek State Park. It sounded nice and one of the friendly neighbors we talk to frequently confirmed it was a great place to visit.  We loaded the bikes into the back of the CR-V and made the short trek (18 miles) up the road, and if only in our minds, back in time.

Visiting Oil Creek State Park on a sunny, peaceful and somewhat unseasonably warm September afternoon was quite a contrast from what the area must have looked, sounded and smelled like back in the 1860's.  The 6,250 acre state park was established in 1931 and continues to honor the areas past and it's connection to oil. 

Oil Creek State Park 

In the 1850's the area was reported to be a "sleepy, slow growing" area with lumber being the primary industry.  Oil was known to exist in the area but a technique to extract it had not been developed.  Everything changed near the end of 1859 when the first successful oil well was drilled in the area.  Word spread quickly and soon the rush was on.  Fortune seekers made their way to the area to drill and stake their claims to "liquid gold".

The "sleepy, slow growing" area suddenly became a bustling hub of activity.  A really interesting informational boardwalk in the park tells the story of the transformation of the area.  Clapboard houses, hotels, stores, bars, banks and theaters popped up everywhere along the river valley.  The buildings were built quickly and haphazardly.  Many of them went down almost as fast as they went up when a random spark would suddenly become a major blaze.  As soon as the last embers were extinguished, rebuilding would begin.  Additionally, as the speculators would move from one location to another buildings would be torn down, moved and rebuilt.

Near the train station there was an upscale hotel that once hosted a reception for President Grant.  A wayward spark from a passing train caused a fire that destroyed the hotel and several other buildings.

Like the California Gold Rush, the Pennsylvania Oil Rush attracted many hard living, colorful characters.  Those who made money frequently made lots of it and there was plenty of saloons, gambling houses and brothels to help those who had struck it rich find a way to spend their money. There were legendary stories such as one about a fella who struck it rich and proceeded to drink himself to death.  As he lay dying his last words were "tell them to drink water".  There was also Samuel Wood who lost his entire fortune on a single roll of the dice.  He rolled a nine, but his competitor rolled an eleven.  Not to be left out, women got in on the “action”.  The most famous was probably  "French Kate", the owner and proprietor of many of the finest brothels in the area.  It is rumored that at some point somewhere in her career John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln had been one of her  many "clients".

The term "wildcatter" is said to have originated in this area.  Speculators would mark their wells by placing an item on top.  One fella shot a wild cat and drug it up to the top of his well to let everyone around know that it was his well.  That well became known as the "Wildcatter Well" .  The term wildcatter outlasted the actual wild cat by a long shot.

Today there is a 19.4 mile (9.7 each way) out and back bike trail along Oil Creek.  We rode 14 of the 19.4 miles.

There were numerous deer along the bike trail.  This one was kind enough to pose in the creek for a quick picture.  We also had a large ground hog run across the path.  We didn't get a good enough look to see if it was Punxsutawney Phil.

Bridge over Oil Creek.  A nice place to stop and get the circulation back in your butt, take a picture or two and continue along the trail.

Even in the best of times, as you could imagine, the living and working conditions for both humans and animals were less than desirable.  It was said that as soon as a new arrival would step off the train platform that they would be greeted with mud that was often knee deep and that the smell of oil was thick and always present.  Animals, particularly horses labored long and hard to pull heavy sleds loaded with barrels of oil up the icy waters of oil creek. 

The sights, sounds and smells along Oil Creek are much different now than they were back in the oil boom days.

  

A lot has changed since those days, but thankfully the stories have been nicely captured.  If you ever visit Oil Creek State Park stop at the train station and devote a little time to following the board walk and read the stories of the past and try to imagine what it must have truly been like in those days.  It's kind of nutty and chaotic right now but given the choice of living in the present or being an oil speculator in the early 1860's, I think I'll stick with today.

Yesterday Allie invited us over to Ben's house for a backyard picnic.  Ben, who took this picture, had his own chair.  She sat patiently while waiting for an occasional treat from MiMi or Pop.

    

Berlin and Mount Hope, Ohio.............Amish Country

When Beth and I heard the words "Amish Country" we thought of Pennsylvania.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, there are some Amish families near where we are currently staying (Kennerdell).  However, in Pennsylvania "Amish Country" is Lancaster County which is in the Southeastern section of the state.  What we didn't realize is that there is a large Amish area in Ohio, that according to some information I've read is actually the largest concentration of Amish in the United States.  It is located in and around Holmes County, which included our destination, the small communities of Berlin and Mount Hope which were just a little over a two hour drive from here. Yesterday was Ben's day off and he is actually the one that suggested we visit that area.  We were thrilled to have him with us for the adventure. 

Ohio Amish Country

The drive took us through Akron, which is appropriately nicknamed "Rubber City" because it is the world headquarters of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.  Just a little south of Akron is the city of Canton, which is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  We actually drove right by the Hall of Fame and the adjoining football stadium.  The Hall of Fame will be a nice place to visit on another day, but this day was a day for Amish food and browsing a few of the numerous handmade furniture stores, antique shops and other stores selling "stuff" of all shapes and sizes for every budget and taste.  One of the advantages of being intentionally homeless is that it's fun to look at everything but no temptation to buy.  

US Highway 62, which is also known as the Amish Country Byway leads from the Canton area into the heart of Holmes County.  Soon after getting into the green rolling farmland we began to see horse drawn buggies on the main road and side roads.  We had arrived!  Our first stop of the day was Sunny Slope Orchard.  They had a great selection of fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses and of course something the Amish are famous for, sweets!  Although everything we bought (apples, zucchini, pears, green peppers and an apple cider slush) was great , we did kind of make a rookie mistake by stopping at the first place we saw.  Although their prices were very good, the prices at the roadside stands a little ways down the road were better.  Ironically, our last stop of the day was also at Sunny Slope.  We were heartbroken that the bakeries had all closed early and that we were going to be leaving without any cinnamon rolls.   Our last ditch shot was Sunny Slope and they came through in fine fashion with some freshly delivered ones!  We nibbled on them on the way home and polished them off at breakfast!

Lots of green pastures and farms throughout the rolling hills of Amish Country

You'll find yourself sharing the road with numerous horse and buggies.

Our first and last stop of the day in Amish Country

Pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes and colors on display at a roadside produce stand.

If you do visit Amish Country make sure you stop at one of the many hand crafted furniture stores you're likely to see.  Even if you're not buying furniture, the skill and craftmanship of their work is worth taking some time to admire.  Additionally, they are understandably proud of their work and happy to have you take a look at it.  We spent quite a bit of time roaming through The Cabin Store and had a great time.  Ben even picked up a few small items for his house!

Ben with a couple of items he picked up from the Cabin Store.  His house is decorated with a nice collection of bears!

We had a very nice lunch at Boyd and Wortman which is located on Main Street in Berlin.  The food was delicious and plentiful but make sure you leave room for dessert!  The restaurant is famous for their pies and they certainly lived up to their billing.  Ben isn't much of a pie person so he opted out.  Beth went for the Black Raspberry Pie a la mode, while I choose the Pecan Pie.  Not wanting to miss out on any of the other Amish sweets, we picked up fudge, peanut brittle and a few other tasty treats at Heini's Cheese Chalet.  

Cheese and a whole lot more can be found at Heini's, including some killer fudge and peanut brittle.

Food, furniture looking, treasure hunting and most importantly family time made for a great day in the Ohio Amish Country.

Ben plays in a weekly golf league in Slippery Rock.  I enjoyed going out and watching him play this afternoon.  He won his match over Tom Watson...........no, not the Tom Watson of PGA Tour Fame.......Tom Watson from Slippery Rock.  An impressive victory nonetheless!

 

 

Beaching it Pennsylvania style............Presque Isle State Park

Sara's is a local tradition famous for burgers, fries and milkshakes.  It's easy to find.  It's just outside the entrance to Presque Isle State Park.

Two words that you don't usually find in the same sentence are "Pennsylvania" and "beach".  Probably the most frequent time you'd see them near one another would be something like  "We're from Pennsylvania and we're going to the beach in Florida".  Less common would be; "We're from Florida and we're going to the beach in Pennsylvania".  We don't always do things the common way, so yes, we're in Pennsylvania and we went to the beach.

Sara's!

If you're astute in geography and/or history, you know that Pennsylvania is the only one of the thirteen original colonies not located on the Atlantic Ocean.  Nothing has changed with regard to that fact. However, Pennsylvania does have 51 miles of coastline along Lake Erie.  Included in these 51 miles is  the 3,112 acre Presque Isle State Park in Erie.

Presque Isle State Park

Presque Isle State Park was established in 1921.  The park now plays host to over four million visitors per year.  However, on the first day of September, with school starting back, the crowd was small making social distancing throughout the park an easy task.  

Within the park boundaries are 21 miles of roads and 35 miles of trails.  We enjoyed touring the park by both car and bicycle (rentals are available within the park).  The bicycle rentals will be closing soon for the season and  they were selling off some of their bikes in preparation for new ones arriving for 2021.  We're now the proud owners of one of those bikes!  We have access to another bike through Ben.  This will give us an opportunity to explore more of the local trails on both foot and bike over the next few weeks.

I didn't know at the time that I was modeling our new bike!

Presque Isle also has 13 sandy beaches.  Yes, the beaches are not on the ocean or Gulf of Mexico, but when standing on the shoreline looking out over the wide expanse of clear blue water you'd be hard pressed to know the difference.  We were so inspired that we hopped in for a refreshing dip in the chilly water (current temperature is around 75 degrees).  For me it was 62 years and 245 days before I took my first dip in one of the great lakes.  It didn't last too long, about fifteen minutes, but it was fun.  It was also Beth's first dip in one of the great lakes. If you want the specifics on how long she roamed the planet before taking the plunge you'll have to ask her.  

One of the thirteen Presque Isle Beaches (Bundy Beach)

Just 23 miles across the lake is Long Point, Ontario, Canada.  In 1975, a then 17 year old named Pat Bundy who was a Presque Isle lifeguard became the first person to successfully swim across from Canada to the US.  I'm not sure what he was thinking about during the twenty six and a half hour swim, but I'm betting it had something to do with not accepting any more challenges from his fellow lifeguards.  He not only completed the swim, but went on to medical school and is now a plastic surgeon in Alabama.  The beaches of Presque Isle are creatively named Beach 1, Beach 2, Beach 3, etc., except for Beach 10.  Beach 10 is also known as Bundy Beach and has a plaque commemorating the swim.  

Before heading back to Kennerdell we took a ninety minute boat ride on the Lady Kate.  This narrated boat tour took us along the shore, passing many of the beaches as well as several of the lighthouses that have been protecting ships and sailors since the 1870's.  The informative narration provided a great deal of history about the area including the role Presque Isle played during the War of 1812.  It was here that six of the nine ships used to defeat the British in the Battle of Lake Erie were constructed.

We also learned that the "Lake Erie Quadrangle", a 2,500 square mile area has reported more than 430 maritime disasters.  This is 23 times more than what has occurred in the better known Bermuda Triangle.  Additionally, the water from the great lakes would cover the entire continental US with over 9 feet of water!  

The Lady Kate

The Presque Isle Lighthouse.  Lighting the way since July 12, 1873.

Another first.............the first time we've ever done a boat tour in masks!  That's the North Pier Lighthouse in the background.

Bicentennial Tower along the downtown Erie shoreline.  It was built in 1996 to commemorate the cities 200th anniversary. 

Lady Kate  

Beaches and Pennsylvania, two words that don't often go together but in the case of Presque Isle State Park they make a nice match! 

Thanks Debbie!  So far no fish have interrupted the peaceful serenity of fishing on the Allegheny! 

 

Kennerdell on the weekend.............a significant increase in activity!

Ben and Allie enjoying some time sitting down along the river bank

Today marks the end of our first week in Kennerdell.  We arrived last Sunday at just about the exact time I'm writing this post, around 5:00 PM.  We chose this area for several reasons. First and foremost was the close proximity to Ben (around 30 minutes).  We also chose it because it looked so beautiful, peaceful, relaxing and an easy place to avoid crowds.  Absolutely nothing has disappointed us in the first seven days, even though the activity around here picks up significantly on the weekend.

Allie taking Beth for a walk on the River Trail

Not wanting to be left out we picked up our pace over the weekend as well.   After spending some time at Ben's house on Saturday morning we came back and found ourselves in the middle of a three car traffic jam on the private gravel road that leads to our Airbnb.  Thanks to some skillful maneuvering by all three drivers we were all quickly on our way with simple waves and smiles instead of yelling, cursing and drawing weapons.  

The boat traffic on the river has also increased noticeably over the weekend.  During the week we'd typically get 1-2 boats pass by.  Today, the boat traffic has more than doubled.  I've counted five different boats zipping along the river!

Allie was here all day and she could count the number of different boats on one paw!

Late Saturday afternoon we ventured out to find and explore a portion of the Sandy Creek Trail.  This is a twelve mile paved multi-use trail that as the name implies, runs along Sandy Creek before it empties into the Allegheny River.  Like the Allegheny River Trail, which it intersects with, it too is a "rails to trails" conversion.  Sandy Creek is rather small and not always visible, but this does not diminish from the spectacular scenery along the tree lined trail.  From the trail head where we started (Rockland Road) we walked three miles to the 1,385 foot long Belmar Bridge that was built in 1907 with the financial backing of John D. Rockerfeller.  It was built with the intention of being part of a rail system between New York and Chicago.  However, according to what I read it mainly served as a bridge for the local coal industry.  The bridge is a really cool site to see, walk or peddle across while imagining back to the early part of the 1900's when the coal industry was booming in this area.  In addition to the Belmar Bridge we crossed five smaller bridges and passed through the 967 foot long Mays' Mill Tunnel.  Unlike the curved Kennerdell Tunnel, the Mays' Mill Tunnel is straight so there is light at both ends of the tunnel!  

The Belmar Bridge

Entrance to the Mays' Mill Tunnel.......if you look closely you can see light at the end of the tunnel

One of the five smaller bridges we crossed on the Sandy Creek Trail.

Sandy Creek from one of the bridges

Today has been a fun filled day of dog sitting.  We picked Allie up early this morning before Ben went to work and kept her until he got off and came to get her.  On the way back from his house this morning we passed a special treat along the road.  Although Lancaster County is considered "Amish Country" in Pennsylvania, we have discovered that there are quite a few Amish families in this area.  This morning on one of the small roads, within just a couple of minutes, we passed eight Amish families riding along happily in their horse drawn buggies on their way to worship.  As we passed by, there were smiles and friendly waves from both parents and children.  

We were up well before this picture was taken.  The night sky was amazing.

Ben and Allie took off about an hour ago.  The sun will be setting soon and we'll have survived the wild and wooly weekend in Kennerdell.  Thankful that we found this riverfront paradise in Northwest Pennsylvania!  

All the reasons we chose Kennerdell in one picture!